Another coach is out, Big Ten, Pac-12, Big 12 announce all-conference honors

Another power-five coach is out of a job, the NIVC begins Wednesday, and the Pac-12, Big Ten, and Big 12 named their players of the year and all-conference teams.

Out is Steve McRoberts of Ole Miss, the fourth major-conference coach to be let go in two days. Ohio State and Rutgers beat Ole Miss to the punch on Tuesday and Auburn’s job opened up Monday.

McRoberts, 111-82 in six years at the SEC school, got off to a 6-0 conference start this season but then lost the next 12 matches. Ole Miss was 14-15 overall. 

Seattle U of the Western Athletic Conference also has an opening because James Finley has announced his retirement after seven seasons as the Redhawks’s head coach and 21 total years of collegiate coaching. He previously coached at VCU. This season, Seattle was 13-18, 4-12 in the WAC, and lost in the first round of the conference tournament.

To keep up with the coaching carousel, click here to read Tuesday’s NCAA roundup.

NIVC: Two matches kick off the 32-team tournament at Long Beach State when UC Davis of the Big West (17-12) faces Tulsa of Conference USA (15-15) and Long Beach State of the Big West (12-16) plays host to the West Coast Conference’s Santa Clara (20-11). The tournament continues Friday with eight more first-round matches.

Click here for the NIVC Tournament Central.

Big Ten: Wisconsin junior middle Dana Rettke is the Big Ten player of the year. She an unanimous all-conference selection, too, in voting by the B1G coaches. Rettke is fifth in the conference at 3.77 kills per set, third in hitting percentage at .402, and second in blocks at 1.40/set.

The defensive player of the year is Penn State senior libero Kendall White, who ranks fourth in the league at 4.14 digs per set. 

Wisconsin junior Sydney Hilley is the top setter after averaging 12.42 assists and leading the Badgers to the B1G title.

The top freshman is Nebraska outside Madi Kubik. She averages 2.73 kills and 2.52 digs.

The coaching award was split. The coaches gave it to Penn State’s Rose, while the media honored Wisconsin’s Kelly Sheffield.

Click here for the complete Big Ten release.

Pac-12: UCLA junior outside hitter Mac May is the Pac-12 player of the year and is the first Bruin to win since 1994. May is second in the conference at 4.84 kills per set and she’s first in aces at .41/set.

The freshman of the year is Washington State middle Magda Jehlarova, the program’s first top freshman. She is 10th in the country at 1.42 blocks per set and leads the Pac-12 with a .366 hitting percentage.

The setter of the year for the third time is Stanford senior Jenna Gray. She’s first in the conference at 11.54 assists/set. The libero of the year is senior teammate Morgan Hentz, who also won for the third time. Hentz leads the Pac-12 at 4.96 digs/set.

The coach of the year is Utah’s Beth Launiere, the longest-tenured coach in the league. She won the COY honor three times when Utah was in the Mountain West, but this is the first time she’s won the Pac-12 honor since the school joined the conference in 2011. Utah is 22-9 and at 14-6 has won the most Pac-12 matches in the program’s history.

Click here for the complete Pac-12 release.

Big 12: Yossiana Pressley, the Baylor junior outside who is a strong candidate for national top honors, is the Big 12 player of the year. Pressley is second in the nation in kills at 5.5/set.

Teammate Hannah Lockin is the setter of the year. The junior is ranked 16th nationally at 11.4 assists per set.

Oklahoma senior Keyton Kinley is the libero of the year. She averaged 4.9 digs/set.

Texas right side Skylar Fields is the freshman of the year. She is second in the Big 12 in hitting percentage at .333.

And Baylor’s Ryan McGuyre is the coach of the year for the second time in his five years at the school.

Click here for the complete Big 12 release.

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